Stars, Dust, and Gas Near Antares
Why is the sky near Antares and Rho Ophiuchi so dusty yet colorful? The colors result from a mixture of objects and processes. Fine dust – illuminated from the front by starlight – produces bluereflection nebulae.Gaseous clouds whose atoms are excited by ultraviolet starlight produce reddish emission nebulae.Backlit dust clouds block starlight and soappear dark.
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